Read the story line. Interesting setting, The Lapland War, both my grandfathers were a part of the pursuit of the retreating German forces.
Music?Movies?Plays?Concerts? Whatcha Up To Lately?
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I did not know they made a movie on it as well. This is the 5 season series we watching.
Well this was a bit of sad news for today. 
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...ng-for-sugar-man-rocker-dead-obit-1234803231/
Rodriguez was not that well known in the USA but was huge during the 70's in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw-BpTZAFRY
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...ng-for-sugar-man-rocker-dead-obit-1234803231/
Rodriguez was not that well known in the USA but was huge during the 70's in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw-BpTZAFRY
RIP Sugar Man.
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I like the blues-tinged backing instruments.
My fondest Rodriguez memory was back in 2013 in a dive bar down in Cape Town on Kereoki night. S.Africans are huge into Kereoki and pretty much every bar down there will have at least one Kereoki night each week, a lot of them will every night. I was out on a date with my future wife when some older gal pitched up and did a rendition of "Suger Man" in Afrikaans. For those who don't know, Afrikaans is a Dutch dialect spoken exclusively in S.Africa. She had this rich, husky, kind of breathy voice and let me tell you she f-ing NAILED IT. When she hung the mike back up the place went absolutely bonkers. She got a standing ovation.
Truth be told Rodriquez didn't really make a dime off of any of his S.African airplay. All his music was pirated down there. The record labels just printed his recordings and kept the money. No one had any contracts so multiple domestic labels were just cranking out his material the way they saw fit. This was in the 1980's. At that time S.Africa was a pariah state and under heavy international embargo. In addition to this there was strict censorship of media and entertainment. All this facilitated keeping his S.African exposure completely unknown outide that country, so he had no idea he was such a big hit there. He had a heavy following particularly among the Bush War Troppies(Afrikaans for "Troopers"). I think he ultimately made a little bit of money off his S.African fame once it was discovered years and years later that he was a practical household name down there, but it was a tiny fraction of the what he would've made if it was all done legit. IIRC the payment was actually made to get him to come to play live in S.Africa which he then did multiple times over the past decade or two.
Truth be told Rodriquez didn't really make a dime off of any of his S.African airplay. All his music was pirated down there. The record labels just printed his recordings and kept the money. No one had any contracts so multiple domestic labels were just cranking out his material the way they saw fit. This was in the 1980's. At that time S.Africa was a pariah state and under heavy international embargo. In addition to this there was strict censorship of media and entertainment. All this facilitated keeping his S.African exposure completely unknown outide that country, so he had no idea he was such a big hit there. He had a heavy following particularly among the Bush War Troppies(Afrikaans for "Troopers"). I think he ultimately made a little bit of money off his S.African fame once it was discovered years and years later that he was a practical household name down there, but it was a tiny fraction of the what he would've made if it was all done legit. IIRC the payment was actually made to get him to come to play live in S.Africa which he then did multiple times over the past decade or two.
I remember if you went to any type of party and they did not play one or more of his songs it just was not a party.
He was also always heard in the pubs by the resident singer. He was in town for one show many years back but I missed it due to traveling for my work, I was really upset about that one.
He was also always heard in the pubs by the resident singer. He was in town for one show many years back but I missed it due to traveling for my work, I was really upset about that one.
Well I know what's going to be on heavy rotation in the pubs down there this week.
Our local radio station had a segment on him this morning and his history. Really strange that he was hardly known in the USA during the 70's and 80's.
This was the movie that a South African made that actually seemed to put him in the eyes of the people in the USA
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk9FsGvfW9Y
This was the movie that a South African made that actually seemed to put him in the eyes of the people in the USA
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk9FsGvfW9Y
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ VIDEO UNAVAILABLE ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Remember, South Africa had a comprehensive censoring policy back in the waning days of the regime. You guys had to take what you could get. My ZA- born wife is an accomplished vocalist and has been a music enthusiast since she was a kid in the late 80's. She came over here almost 10 years ago in her mid-30's and was still blown away by all the available talent- Mothership, Windhand, CoC, Band of Heathens, High on Fire, etc. Tragically you simply didn't get much, and it's still somewhat limited. Even after the ANC clowns took over, the selections down there remained sparce to say the least. The Rand collapsed so why bother when you can focus on Pounds, USD or Euros instead? S.African DJ's and musicians would either have to go to Europe to retrieve the latest tunes and walk them back in, or move to Europe to pusue a career. This is probably how Rodriguez' music got into S.Africa because he'd never even been there and he was briefly signed to a UK label.
Again, Rodriguez went full bore Platinum in S.Africa(that's at least 1 million albums sold) and didn't receive a penny. He was selling a lot of albums in Rhodesia too, another pariah state. In fact when all those cassettes and CD's were being sold and the Rands and Dollars Rhodesian were being bankrolled he'd already given up his music career and was toiling away working construction and factory jobs for menial pay. The entire world practically had it's back turned on S.Africa and almost nobody was doing business with them. The S.African black market was institutionalized out of necessity. It was rumored in S.Africa that Sixto Rodriguez had killed himself. I'm wondering if that info was intentionally fabricated to dodge potential royalty obligations.
So no offense, but S.Africa screwed him. It is what it is.
Here's another act that never really left S.African shores. These cats are from Durban. "Freedom's Children." Early 70's power-bluesrock. If you can't get these links on YouTube, you'll have to run them down elsewhere.
This is my favorite track. It kind of has a "Mountain"/"Mississippi Queen" vibe...
I don't even know many S.Africans that know about these guys.
Well all I can say about the music in the 80's that was when they killed it. I hated disco and from there on it just seemed to go downhill fast.
Rap is crap.
Is this even considered to be music
For me pretty much the late 90’s was the death knell on good rock music. I got into the post-punk/alternative scene in the mid-80’s when I started high school. Siouxsie, Joy Division, The Cult, Echo, Killing Joke, etc. I also always maintained my harder rock and metal sensibilities- Slayer, Sepultura, Suicidal, et al. Metallica lost me at the Black Album. The 90’s hit and “Alternative” started getting air play- Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry… and Grunge hit- Pearl Jam, Tad, Screaming Trees, AIC and of course Soundgarden. As the 90’s marched on some really good original acts sprung up here and there- Prodigy, Tool. For me that’s where things started getting watered down. All the campy pop-punk bands sprung up- Green Day, Offspring, and eventually metal started taking on a bubblegum flavor- Stained, Disturbed, etc. The last 20 years have been a practical void.
There are some exceptions- White Stripes, Zero 7, Black Keys. When they’re good, they’re really good but most are crap. And like I said, there’s an underground hard rock scene going these days but you have to do a little research. A lot of it is on a Black Sabbath, Motörhead tip. Most of you in here would probably hate it but you may be surprised here and there.
These cats are from Richmond, Virginia...
Dallas, Texas...
Gothenburg, Sweden...
There are some exceptions- White Stripes, Zero 7, Black Keys. When they’re good, they’re really good but most are crap. And like I said, there’s an underground hard rock scene going these days but you have to do a little research. A lot of it is on a Black Sabbath, Motörhead tip. Most of you in here would probably hate it but you may be surprised here and there.
These cats are from Richmond, Virginia...
Dallas, Texas...
Gothenburg, Sweden...
And since we were on a S.Africa tip there for a bit, there are actually some good bands coming out of there these days…
I know this dude personally...
And you can't not mention these freaks…
(Warning strong adult content)
^ "Die Antwoord" (Afrikaans "The Answer") is definitely an acquired taste. They're part of a music movement started down there called "Zef." It's commonly sang in Afrikaans. I'm not a huge fan but it's still pretty amusing
Then taking things back a few years you had the very tragic Brenda Fassie(1964-2004)...
I know this dude personally...
And you can't not mention these freaks…
(Warning strong adult content)
^ "Die Antwoord" (Afrikaans "The Answer") is definitely an acquired taste. They're part of a music movement started down there called "Zef." It's commonly sang in Afrikaans. I'm not a huge fan but it's still pretty amusing
Then taking things back a few years you had the very tragic Brenda Fassie(1964-2004)...
We have and had some really good artist in SA over time. As far as the Die Antwoord" (Afrikaans "The Answer") goes I will pass on them.
I think one of our biggest artists in the last few years was Johnny Clegg also known as The White Zulu. His music appealed to all South Africans. It was a sad day when he passed.
View: https://youtu.be/qnYtcH4YS44
View: https://youtu.be/Oeqnmua-QQ8
Another big one in SA was Mango Groove. The band has since broken up but the female vocalist still performs.
View: https://youtu.be/N7FN6XflbL8
And one that only a South African can appreciate is David Kramer
View: https://youtu.be/04Yhf5gkcPo
I think one of our biggest artists in the last few years was Johnny Clegg also known as The White Zulu. His music appealed to all South Africans. It was a sad day when he passed.
View: https://youtu.be/qnYtcH4YS44
View: https://youtu.be/Oeqnmua-QQ8
Another big one in SA was Mango Groove. The band has since broken up but the female vocalist still performs.
View: https://youtu.be/N7FN6XflbL8
And one that only a South African can appreciate is David Kramer
View: https://youtu.be/04Yhf5gkcPo
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A little insight for those who bothered watching that "Cookie Thumper" video. They mention "26's" and "27's" as well as you'll notice all the American Flag imagery. That's all part of a local street gang called "The Americans." It's run by "Coloreds," or mixed race pax primarily out in the Mitchell's Plain township of the Cape Flats. Typical street level organized crime, but they're also in with the Triads. You'll see "USA" and "America" graffiti tags around town denoting their territory.
I popped into a road side pub in Caledon about an hour or so outside Cape Town once, and the place was basically a "colored" bar. There were a couple rough looking dudes in there sporting American Flag bandanas, denoting their membership in The Americans. They came straight up to me as anyone could tell I wasn't a local and we wound up shooting the sh-t. We actually got on really well. They got a huge kick out of the fact that I was a legit American. Caledan is a small agricultural town bit off the beaten path so Yanks don't pull through there very much, and I can guarantee actual Americans don't ever pitch up into this bar. My buddies back in Cape Town said I was crazy to have gone in there but I didn't feel threatened.
We kept conversation light hearted and I didn't ask any intrusive questions. They were w/out a doubt involved in the drug trade, probably lower level, but none of that was brought up which is surprising because street dealers down there are typically pretty brazen. They stand right out in the street and mumble code words as you go by. They actually bought a round, Castle or Black Label, I forget which. I had a jacket in the car with an American Flag velcro shoulder patch on it and I let them flip a coin for the patch. They wound up going 2 out of 3 for it. Made that dude's year.
Over the past decade or so there's been a rival colored gang emerge down there called "The British." They're basically the same thing but with Union Jack imagery instead of Old Glory. It's all a really good way for a disenfranchised township kid to wind up stabbed to death.
Sample photos of some "Americans."
I popped into a road side pub in Caledon about an hour or so outside Cape Town once, and the place was basically a "colored" bar. There were a couple rough looking dudes in there sporting American Flag bandanas, denoting their membership in The Americans. They came straight up to me as anyone could tell I wasn't a local and we wound up shooting the sh-t. We actually got on really well. They got a huge kick out of the fact that I was a legit American. Caledan is a small agricultural town bit off the beaten path so Yanks don't pull through there very much, and I can guarantee actual Americans don't ever pitch up into this bar. My buddies back in Cape Town said I was crazy to have gone in there but I didn't feel threatened.
We kept conversation light hearted and I didn't ask any intrusive questions. They were w/out a doubt involved in the drug trade, probably lower level, but none of that was brought up which is surprising because street dealers down there are typically pretty brazen. They stand right out in the street and mumble code words as you go by. They actually bought a round, Castle or Black Label, I forget which. I had a jacket in the car with an American Flag velcro shoulder patch on it and I let them flip a coin for the patch. They wound up going 2 out of 3 for it. Made that dude's year.
Over the past decade or so there's been a rival colored gang emerge down there called "The British." They're basically the same thing but with Union Jack imagery instead of Old Glory. It's all a really good way for a disenfranchised township kid to wind up stabbed to death.
Sample photos of some "Americans."
These gangs in Cape Town are really bad news. They have become a huge problem in their areas and a lot of innocent people are being killed in these gang wars.
Another amuzing inclusion in that video is that the thug is sporting a "Passion Gap." @DaveM knows exactly what I'm talking about. 
If you notice the punk has no top front teeth. To non-S.Africans, it would appear he got his chiclets knocked out in a fistfight or a traffic accident or something. The reality is both bizarre and far more interesting.
That procedure… the "Passion Gap" is done intentionally among the S.African "Coloreds," mostly by young males these days but you do occasionally see females with it. So you read that right… THEY INTENTIONALLY PULL OUT THEIR FRONT TEETH.
2 and 4 tooth removal are both peformed, 2 being most common. The rationale for this is not exactly clear and there are several theories and known reasons. The most pervasive modern explanation is that it enhances kissing, as well as other sexual activities. It's been a thing for generations so the reality is that the justification has almost certainly evolved over the years. Nowadays it has a strong gangland association. Employers have begun cracking down on the practice.
It's also contended that generations ago it helped fisherman whistle louder to signal other fisherman. Cape Town has always been a hub for fishing fleets and the Township Class traditionally provided a lot of fishing crews. Way back when The Cape was a slave outpost it was apparently done by slaves as a form of protest, to reduce their value. Various dental modifications are quite common throughout the continent of Africa but incisor removal/"Passion Gap" is specific to Western Cape.
Keep in mind that the term "Colored" is a semiformal term for mixed race folks originating in the Cape Flats. It's not really considered derogatory. They're similar to "Creoles" in America. They are an amalgamation of the various races and cultures that have put their thumb print on Western Cape for practically the last 500 years- Native Peoples, Europeans, Arabs, Indian, Indonesian, Chinese, etc. They have their own culture, cuisine, mannerisms, and even dialects. Most are either Pentecostal Christians or Shia Muslims. It's actually quite fascinating.
I think the inclusion of all that in that Die Antwoord video is quite clever.
If you notice the punk has no top front teeth. To non-S.Africans, it would appear he got his chiclets knocked out in a fistfight or a traffic accident or something. The reality is both bizarre and far more interesting.
That procedure… the "Passion Gap" is done intentionally among the S.African "Coloreds," mostly by young males these days but you do occasionally see females with it. So you read that right… THEY INTENTIONALLY PULL OUT THEIR FRONT TEETH.
2 and 4 tooth removal are both peformed, 2 being most common. The rationale for this is not exactly clear and there are several theories and known reasons. The most pervasive modern explanation is that it enhances kissing, as well as other sexual activities. It's been a thing for generations so the reality is that the justification has almost certainly evolved over the years. Nowadays it has a strong gangland association. Employers have begun cracking down on the practice.
It's also contended that generations ago it helped fisherman whistle louder to signal other fisherman. Cape Town has always been a hub for fishing fleets and the Township Class traditionally provided a lot of fishing crews. Way back when The Cape was a slave outpost it was apparently done by slaves as a form of protest, to reduce their value. Various dental modifications are quite common throughout the continent of Africa but incisor removal/"Passion Gap" is specific to Western Cape.
Keep in mind that the term "Colored" is a semiformal term for mixed race folks originating in the Cape Flats. It's not really considered derogatory. They're similar to "Creoles" in America. They are an amalgamation of the various races and cultures that have put their thumb print on Western Cape for practically the last 500 years- Native Peoples, Europeans, Arabs, Indian, Indonesian, Chinese, etc. They have their own culture, cuisine, mannerisms, and even dialects. Most are either Pentecostal Christians or Shia Muslims. It's actually quite fascinating.
I think the inclusion of all that in that Die Antwoord video is quite clever.
